Fairy Tales Brought to Life

Imagination is a road that can go in any direction, and the team of cake decorators Sarah and Timbo used theirs to bring a tale to life for Duff's challenge. The fairy and goblin cake the two created was an "unbelievable" presentation, as Duff called it, and they earned the Golden Whisk for it.

Inside a Magical World

In this cake a bad fairy who has lost her wings sits atop a toadstool, while below her a menacing snail has left its burrow to survey the forest floor. The cake is a pineapple inside-out cake, as Sarah has coined it, made with caramelized pineapple, maraschino cherries and pecans.

Space, the Fondant Frontier

"Spaceships under attack" was the theme that husband-and-wife team Tyler and Amanda had to contend with, and they definitely delivered, going above and beyond, with a cake that defied gravity — literally. The couple easily earned the Golden Whisk for their hard work and execution.

Planetary Revolutions

Here's a cake that not only delivered on the theme but also blew the judges' minds, with a spaceship balancing on a planetary ring. Duff was impressed, calling the couple's efforts "textbook." The vanilla bean cake had two Italian meringue buttercreams, lemon and raspberry, as the filling.

Superheroes to the Rescue

Challenged with making a superhero cake with a sidekick, cake decorators Rainbow and Kimberly came up with an imaginative design that Duff deemed the "best overall execution of the theme." The pair earned the Golden Whisk for their cake, which had probably the cutest little superheroes.

There's No Job Too Small

Super Chi-weenie, with the help of his sidekick, Power Pug, saves a family of ladybugs from imminent danger as a car barrels down the road. The cake's interior features chocolate almond cherry cake with cherry cream cheese buttercream and vanilla bean cake with vanilla bean buttercream.

Castle Clash

When it came to creating a castle cake, baker Jackie and her assistant Tina imagined an authentic medieval castle with turrets and a drawbridge, along with characters straight out of a chivalrous tale. Their decorating skills outshined the other team, and the two left with the Golden Whisk.

Once Upon a Time

Duff asked for a castle with a mythical creature and later added a twist: a hero. The duo presented their cake with a knight in shining armor defending a damsel in distress from the dragon. The interior featured spiced pumpkin cake with dulce de leche buttercream — flavors that Duff called "on point."

Cakes Ahoy!

A pirate ship, complete with a sea monster and treasure chest, was the challenge. Bakers and cake decorators Jasmine and Karolyn not only checked off all the requirements of the battle, but they created a cake brimming with imagination, earning themselves the Golden Whisk.

Argh, Matey!

The team's pirate ship cake looked good with an octopus, a treasure chest overflowing with booty, a late-night backdrop and dynamic water that "created movement in something that's static," according to Duff. And it was made with a German chocolate cake, the filling of which the judges loved.

Monster Mayhem

When challenged with creating a monster cake with a damsel in distress, cake decorator Kelly and her non-decorator husband, Pete, managed to create a truly imaginative cake that earned them the Golden Whisk. And Duff was impressed seeing Pete take on work he's never done with such ease.

Apple Monster Cake

Inspired by Kelly's little nephew who dreamed up an apple monster, Kelly and Pete brought the character to life. It eats defenseless apples, but this time Granny Smith is trying to fight back with an apple peeler. The interior features layers of salted caramel apple cake and salted caramel chocolate cake.

Ready, Set, Luau!

Challenged with making a luau-themed cake, Liz (second from left) and her assistant Michelle (second from right) created a cake that captured the fun feeling of a luau. They left with the Golden Whisk in hand. Duff was impressed with their creation and also found the cake's flavor fantastic.

Hawaiian Luau Cake

Liz and Michelle created a classic luau with a tiki god presenting all of the traditional foods of a Hawaiian celebration. There's even an uninvited guest: a squirrel peeking out from atop the tiki god. The cake is lemon and rosemary with a marionberry filling and Swiss meringue buttercream.